New German food truck boils with beer; April brings big culinary tickets

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A new food truck, Pikes Peak Authentic German Food and Catering (pikespeakgermanfood.com), launched this past Saturday at Great Storm Brewing, and is planning future Saturdays there as well, in addition to soon-to-be-announced dates at Monument's Pikes Peak Brewing.

Behind the venture are husband-and-wife team Jane McAllister and John Dort — she a nurse, and he a nutritionist as well as 20-year veteran chef inside the likes of assisted-living and long-term-care kitchens. He specializes in pastries and baking, but also the German food his grandparents used to make. McAllister, too, has German ancestry.

Their core menu features items like currywurst, bratwurst with caramelized onions, sauerbraten over spaetzle, pork roast with dumplings, and sides like house sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato pancakes. Dessert means apple strudel.

Dort says he'll eventually rotate in specials like beef rouladen and perhaps do morning hours with the "German farmer's hearty breakfast" of potatoes, bacon, sausage, veggies and cheese cooked into a casserole of sorts. He also doesn't stop at buying Sara's Sausage brats from Palmer Lake; he boils them in beer from his host breweries, with other secret ingredients to infuse interesting flavors, then serves them on daily-baked Wimberger's Old World Bakery & Delicatessen buns.

"I put love into it," he says.

Save the dates

• The ACF of the Pikes Peak Region will host its Culinary Passport Reception at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 11, at Julie Penrose Hall (9 El Pomar Road, pikespeakchefs.org). Tax-deductible tickets are $40, benefiting the Springs Rescue Mission, and will allow you to sample from 13 local chefs spotlighting world cuisines.

• Pikes Peak Community College and the Blue Star Group will present the third annual Fran Folsom Culinary Arts Scholarship Dinner at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 19, at Nosh (121 S. Tejon St.). Tickets are $95, or $160 for a pair, featuring food designed by students with creative input from faculty and notable area chefs; the goal is to fund three new culinary scholarships.

• Taste of OCC, taking place in and benefiting the improvement of Bancroft Park (2408 W. Colorado Ave., tasteofocc.com), is set for 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 26. Tickets, $30 ($35 at the door), gain access to more than 30 food and drink vendors, live music and artist demos, and more.

• Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop (5198 N. Nevada Ave., thecowboystar.com), announced last summer for University Village, is set to open Tuesday, April 28. The upscale, San Diego-based venture includes a butcher shop and features seafood items and hormone- and antibiotic-free steaks from independent ranches, 35-day dry-aged beef, and an award-winning cocktail program.